Page 71 of Love and Order

“Hey, kiddo.” Her dad, Admiral Maddox, swooped in and put his arm around her shoulder before kissing her forehead.

They had taken their time getting to know each other, but in the end, they were too much alike to deny the connection. And they both seemed as intrigued by the similarities that existed even though she’d grown up without him. They both tilted their heads when considering a dilemma. They both sneezed three times in a row when something tickled their senses. They both loved sardines on pizza and were Scrabble addicts. In fact, games and puzzles were one of the first things they found they had in common. Now every Sunday, she had breakfast with her dad, and they did a crossword or played Scrabble, and in the evenings, he usually joined her and Finn at the Maguires for Sunday dinner. They were a packaged deal.

Everyone was dressed in casual summer dresses, and the men had linen shirts on with shorts. The early June sun was warm, but there was a nice breeze coming off the water along the Chesapeake. They were getting married in Annapolis, Maryland, at the Naval Academy where Finn and her father had both gone to school. It was an honor to use the chapel, and she was happy to be close to the water. It always felt like home, but now, getting married to a Navy officer, it seemed as if it was always meant to be.

“Ahoy,” called the captain from the bow of the boat. “If we’re all accounted for, we’ll be setting sail. Everyone take a seat while the crew prepares the boat, and then we’ll let you know when it’s safe to move about.”

Finn appeared and handed her a plastic glass of bubbly, then led her to their seats clearly marked withMr. and Mrs.signs.

“I like that,” she said. “It sounds so official.”

“I can’t believe it hasn’t come up, but did you want to change your name? Or would you rather not? I can totally understand if you don’t want to.”

He was being shy about asking, but she suspected he would prefer she change her name.

“I actually can’t wait to change my name,” she said.

Finn’s face broke into a big smile. “Really?”

“I was thinking I would change two of my names—Hailey Maddox Maguire.”

“Wow, that’s a big step, and I think it’s fantastic. If you tell your dad now, he’s going to need a box of tissues.”

“I’ll wait until after the wedding. He’s really got a lot on his plate, giving away the daughter he never knew.”

Finn’s deep laugh carried over the wind, and his sister, Charlotte, sitting across from them, beamed.

“You make my brother so happy, Hailey. I only wish he’d found you sooner!” Charlotte said.

“I think we found each other at the exact right time. I mean, I did obsess over her for two years while working at the firm. But she was busy making a name for herself. She needed time to discover me,” Finn said.

Charlotte’s husband Caleb piped up, “I think that’s a woman thing.”

Conner nodded as he squeezed his wife Hannah into his side. “Agreed.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I nearly had to drag your brother down the aisle,” Ainsley said before kissing Rory’s surprised face.

“Woman, you must be hallucinating. I was so madly in love with you I was going to fly to New York every weekend just so we could be together,” Rory said.

“Maybe that’s fate. We just find our perfect person when the time is right,” Hailey said.

Finn captured her lips in another searing kiss, and not even the whoops and cheers could pull her attention away. This man owned her, body and soul, and she couldn’t wait to be his wife.

The boat sailed by the Naval Academy and down the Chesapeake, until the captain threw the anchor and announced they could all move around and enjoy the views. It was an intimate crowd with only the Maguires, her father, and several of Finn’s teammates.

“This is a nice-sized group. Who else is coming tomorrow?” Ainsley asked, as they each sampled a few of the mini desserts set out.

“Well a few people from the firm, but most of the guests will be from the Maguire family. I didn’t realize how many cousins Finn had,” Hailey said.

“Oh my gosh, yes. I had no idea either, and since we basically eloped, I didn’t experience the full onslaught until the first Fourth of July family weekend at the lake.”

“So between his dad’s five brothers, they have like twenty cousins, and then on his mom’s side, another ten. It’s a lot of family,” Hailey said.

“It will make for a fun event though, they’re all so beautiful too, like an oddly ‘everyone is gorgeous’ family,” Ainsley said, looking over at her husband standing with Charlotte, Conner, and Finn.

Hailey laughed. “You’re no slouch either, Mrs. Ainsley Maguire.”

“I guess that means these babies will be adorable,” Ainsley whispered.

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